The Last Of Us' New Trailer Was Clobbered By GTA

"The Last of Us" got its limelight stolen by "Grand Theft Auto 6." In early December, Rockstar Games confirmed that it would be debuting the long-awaited trailer for "GTA 6" on the morning of December 5. Plans, however, changed when the first look for the Vice City-set game leaked onto the internet the evening prior. Quick to change gears, Rockstar pivoted its strategy, releasing an official version of the trailer just as the leaks began to spread like wildfire. Unsurprisingly, the maiden trailer for "GTA 6" broke the internet, with millions of fans worldwide rejoicing at the return of the beloved open-world crime series.

While undoubtedly an exciting moment for Rockstar Games, the initial leak forced it to steal the thunder from a fellow studio. On December 4, Naughty Dog officially continued its promotional strategy for "The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered," which brings the survival-thriller to the PlayStation 5. At around 6:00 p.m. EST, Naughty Dog debuted a new trailer for the repackaged "The Last of Us" sequel, unveiling its anticipated roguelike "No Return" mode. Unfortunately, the segment failed to gain momentum thanks to the official release of the "GTA 6" trailer, which hit YouTube at around 6:10 p.m. EST on December 4. 

The "GTA 6" trailer dominated the conversation, with many still unaware that "The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered" even received a new trailer. "It couldn't have released at a s***tier time with the whole GTA VI trailer being released earlier lmao," shared Reddit user u/d0ntm1ndm32, echoing the disappointment felt across the "The Last of Us" fandom. "Looks great tho, hyped for this!"

One can't particularly blame Rockstar Games for debuting its trailer earlier than anticipated. With the leaks gaining traction, Rockstar made an executive decision to have all eyes on the official product. This, of course, took away from the planned debut of "The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered" trailer. Look at the stats, and it's clear that Rockstar's early drop blindsided Naughty Dog. The trailer for "The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered" had garnered over 500,000 views 17 hours after its release. Meanwhile, "GTA 6" had over 73 million views.

"Only a game like GTA VI & a studio like Rockstar could drown out an announcement from Naughty Dog," wrote X (formerly known as Twitter) user @PersonaSpeaks. While many fans took to social media to mock or laugh at Naughty Dog's under-the-radar trailer, some had a more measured response. "I'm not sure how people are saying Naughty Dog made a mistake when Rockstar had to jump the gun due to idiots leaking the GTA VI trailer the night before it was set to go live," shared X user @PlaystationBrah, reminding fans that Naughty Dog likely planned to have the trailer go live on December 4.

The dust has settled, and "The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered" looks to be another hit for Naughty Dog. The "No Return" mode has already intrigued fans of the franchise, compelling them to double dip on the iconic sequel. "The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered" will arrive on January 19, 2024, while "GTA 6" will hit storefronts sometime in 2025.